Miss Virginia USA

Miss Virginia USA
Formation	1952
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Richmond
Location	Virginia;
Membership	Miss USA
Official language	English
Key people	Darrell Williams, Executive Director ; Kyle Kelley, Assistant Director ; Lacie Ross, Assistant Director ; Sheatiel Carter, Assistant Director
Website	Official Website

The Miss Virginia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Virginia in the Miss USA pageant.

Quick Facts Formation, Type ...

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Virginia has been only moderately successful in terms of number of semi-finalists. They have had two Miss USAs. They are one of only four states to have had two Miss USAs in succession (the others being Illinois, Texas, and District of Columbia). Virginia's greatest success came from the late 1960s to early 1980s. Virginia should have had the first Miss USA crown in 1954, as Ellen Whitehead finished 1st runner-up, and Miss USA 1954, Miriam Stevenson, became Miss Universe 1954. However, there was no rule until the 1960s that the 1st runner-up became Miss USA after the winner won Miss Universe. If that was true, 2nd runner-up, Miss New York USA, Karin Hultman would have become Miss USA 1954, as Whitehead was disqualified due to being underage.

Eleven Miss Virginia USA winners have previously held the Miss Virginia Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA and three were previously competed in other states (Georgia, New Jersey and New York), at thirteen. Virginia also currently holds the record for the most Miss Teen USA state winners to win a Miss USA state title from the same state. Two Miss winners have also competed at Miss America.

The current titleholder is Himanvi Panidepu of Centreville was crowned on June 23, 2024, at Hilton Arlington Arlinngton National Landing in Arlington. She will represent Virginia for the title of Miss USA 2024.

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Donna Dixon (pictured in 1990), Miss Virginia USA 1976 and Miss District of Columbia World 1977
Julie Laipply, Miss Virginia USA 2002
Kristi Lauren Glakas, Miss Virginia USA 2004
Amber Copley, Miss Virginia USA 2006
Samantha Casey, Miss Virginia USA 2010
Catherine Muldoon, Miss Virginia USA 2012
Desiree Williams, Miss Virginia 2013 and Miss Virginia USA 2016

Miss USAs: Wendy Dascomb (1969), Deborah Shelton (1970)
1st runners-up: Ellen Whitehead (1954), Patricia Southall (1994)
2nd runners-up: Samantha Casey (2010)
4th runners-up: Sheryl Lynn Herring (1977)
Top 10: Meredith Blankenship (1998), Kellie Lightbourn (1999), Lauren Barnette (2007), Desiree Williams (2016), Himanvi Panidepu (2024)
Top 11/12: Brenda Joyce Miller (1971), Linda McKee (1975), Robin Shadle (1978), Betsy Bott (1979), Pam Hutchens (1981), Sondra Dee Jones (1982), Marsha Ralls (1987), Brandi Bottorff (1992)
Top 15/16/20: Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer (1967), Laurie Burke (1968), Maegan Phillips (2009), Arielle Rosmarino (2014), Laura Puleo (2015), Christina Thompson (2021), Ashley Williams (2023)

Virginia holds a record of 26 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Miss Congeniality: Kimberly Nicewonder (1989)
Miss Photogenic: Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer (1967), Deborah Shelton (1970), Brenda Joyce Miller (1971), Sondra Dee Jones (1982), Patricia Southall (1994), Audra Wilks (1997)
Best in Swimsuit: Patricia Southall (1994)

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Color key

Declared as Winner
Ended as runner-up
Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists

More information Year, Name ...

Year	Name	Hometown	Age^[a]	Local title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2024	Himanvi Panidepu	Centreville	23	Miss Shenandoah	Top 10	Social Impact Award	Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2018
2023	Ashley Williams	Reston	24	Miss Reston	Top 20		Former professional cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
2022	Kailee Horvath	Ashburn	23	Miss Shenandoah Valley
2021	Christina Thompson	Leesburg	25	Miss Southwest Virginia	Top 16		Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2013 Top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2013 Daughter of Hallie Bonnell, Miss Ohio USA 1987 Shortest reigning Miss Virginia USA at 8 months and 30 days
2020	Susie Evans	Poquoson	26	Miss Williamsburg			Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2011 Longest reigning Miss Virginia USA at 1 year, 5 months and 28 days Later winner of season 26 of The Bachelor
2019	Courtney Lynne Smits	Woodbridge	22	Miss Woodbridge			Previously Miss Georgia Teen USA 2012 Top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2012
2018	Ashley Amanda Vollrath	Blacksburg	22	Miss Blacksburg
2017	Jacqueline Carroll	Stanardsville	22	Miss Greene County			Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2010 Top 15 at Miss Teen USA 2010
2016	Desiree Janine Williams	Newport News	26		Top 10		Previously National Sweetheart 2012 Previously Miss Virginia 2013 Later contestant of Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers
2015	Laura Jordan Puleo	Lexington	25		Top 15		Sister of Ashley Puleo, Miss North Carolina USA 2004 1st runner up at Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2006
2014	Arielle Saige Rosmarino	Salem	22		Top 20		Later Miss Virginia World 2015 4th runner up at Miss World America 2015
2013	Shannon Kelli McAnally	Arlington	23
2012	Catherine Muldoon	Virginia Beach	26				Previously Miss New York Teen USA 2004 Top 10 finalist at Miss Teen USA 2004
2011	Nikki Poteet	Richmond	24
2010	Samantha Casey	Jeffersonton	21		2nd runner-up		Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2006 3rd Runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2006
2009	Maegan Phillips	Quantico	22		Top 15
2008	Victoria "Tori" Marie Hall	Midlothian	21				Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2005 Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2005
2007	Lauren Elizabeth Barnette	Wise	21		Top 10		Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2002
2006	Amber Copley	Abingdon	20				Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2003
2005	Jennifer Pitts	Richmond	26				Previously Miss Virginia 2002 Contestant at National Sweetheart 2001
2004	Kristi Lauren Glakas	Centreville	23				Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 1999 Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 1999 Later Miss Virginia 2005 3rd runner-up to Miss America 2006
2003	Meron Mimi Abraham	Alexandria	24
2002	Julie Marie Laipply	Alexandria	24				Public speaker
2001	Kristel Jenkins	Vinton	23				Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 1995 Current producer & choreographer of the Miss Virginia USA and Miss Virginia Teen USA pageants under her married name, Kristel Jenkins-Wittensoldner^[1]
2000	Crystal Marie Jones	Virginia Beach
1999	Kellie Lightbourn	Vienna	21		Semi-finalist		Later Mrs. Florida America 2010 Top 12 at Mrs. America 2011^[2]^[3]
1998	Meredith Blankenship	Hurley	21		Semi-finalist
1997	Audra Wilks	Richmond	24			Miss Photogenic	Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 1988
1996	Danielle Connors	Forest
1995	Susan Elizabeth Robinson	Lynchburg
1994	Patricia Southall	Chesapeake	21		1st runner-up	Miss Photogenic & Best in Swimsuit	Married to Emmitt Smith
1993	Stephanie Satterfield	Virginia Beach					Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 1989
1992	Brandi Bottrof	Fairfax	21		Semi-finalist
1991	Traci Dority	Fairfax
1990	Evelyn Green	Richmond
1989	Kimberly Nicewonder	Bristol				Miss Congeniality	Current director of the Miss Virginia USA and Miss Virginia Teen USA pageants under her married name, Kim Nicewonder-Johnson^[4]
1988	Denise Adrain Smith	Fairfax
1987	Marsha Ralls	Alexandria	24		Semi-finalist
1986	Maureen McDonnell	Alexandria					Cheerleader for Notre Dame.
1985	Dana Bryant	Richmond					Miss Teen All American 1984
1984	Leah Rush	Leesburg
1983	Tai Collins	Virginia Beach					Model and actress whose credits include Baywatch and Playboy magazine, Television Writer and Producer whose credits include SAF3 and Baywatch
1982	Sondra Dee Jones	Richmond	24		Semi-finalist	Miss Photogenic
1981	Pamela Elizabeth Hutchens	Newport News	22		Semi-finalist		General District Court Judge in Virginia Beach, Virginia
1980	Kelly Humphrey	Hampton
1979	Betsy Ann Bott	Falls Church	26		Semi-finalist
1978	Robin Lee Shadle	Springfield	22		Semi-finalist
1977	Sheryl Lynn Herring	Fairfax	19		4th runner-up		Actress best known for her role as Lucy Coe on General Hospital
1976	Donna Dixon	Alexandria	18				Actress best known for her role as Sonny Lumet on the 1980s sitcom Bosom Buddies 1st runner up at Miss World USA 1977 as Miss District of Columbia World
1975	Linda McKee	Alexandria	19		Semi-finalist
1974	Hazel Thomas	Alexandria
1973	Brenda Childress	Richmond
1972	Diane Elizabeth "Dede" Moore	Radford
1971	Brenda Joyce Miller	Norfolk	20		Semi-finalist	Miss Photogenic
1970	Deborah Shelton	Norfolk	21		Miss USA 1970	Miss Photogenic	1st runner-up at Miss Universe 1970 1st runner up at Miss World USA 1968
1969	Wendy Dascomb	Danville	19		Miss USA 1969		Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1969
1968	Laurie Burke	McLean	18		Semi-finalist
1967	Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer	Richmond	18		Semi-finalist	Miss Photogenic
1966	Beverly Johnson	Alexandria
1965	Mary Montgomery	Martinsville
1964	Heidi Karen Smith	Fort Lee					Was Miss Richmond in 1964. German-born Heidi Karin Smith Long died on November 19, 2019, at 76.
1963	Did Not Compete
1962	Did Not Compete
1961	Bonnie Lea Jones	Norfolk
1960	Elizabeth "Betty" Noreen Fulford	Norfolk
1959	Pat Poindexter	Salem
1958	Betty Marsh	Lynchburg
1957	Patricia Bush	Portsmouth
1956	Audra Stark	Virginia Beach
1955	Jeannie Asble	Portsmouth
1954	Ellen Whitehead	Chatham			1st runner-up (later disqualified for being underage)
1953	Dorothy Lee Bailey	Norfolk
1952	Elizabeth Glenn	Roanoke

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Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

[1]
"Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
[2]
"2010 Mrs America". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
[3]
"Mrs America 2010 Results". Mrs. America Pageant. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
[4]
"Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.

Official Website

[1] Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

[2] [1]
"Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.

[3] [2]
"2010 Mrs America". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.

[4] [3]
"Mrs America 2010 Results". Mrs. America Pageant. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.

[5] [4]
"Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.

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[4]

Miss Virginia USA

Awards

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Awards

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Gallery of titleholders

Results summary

Winners

References

External links